Three's Never a Crowd
by YaoiGoddessNekoJin
Summary: Zoom attacks while Len and Mick are on their mission with Rip Hunter. When they find out that Barry was injured, they'll have to convince Rip to take them home before Savage is defeated so that they can be there for the Scarlet Speedster. Coldflashwave
1. Chapter 1

Mick came up behind Len and wound his arms around the other's waist. Len put his hands on Mick's and leaned back slightly. They were in their room on the _Waverider_ after having, successfully, destroyed the Oculus Wellspring. _That_ mission could have ended tragically, but, fortunately for them, Ray had come up with a last minute device that kept the contact the Oculus required to override the fail-safe. They had saved Kendra and Carter and the others were trying to come up with a way to defeat Savage once and for all. Len, however, had been preoccupied and promptly left for his quarters as soon as they got back on the ship. Sensing that something was wrong, Mick had followed. Mick looked at Len in the mirror that he was standing in front of and was studying his face. He looked pensive. Mick had to look away after a moment, though. It hurt him to look at his lover's face after what he had done to him. The bruises were fading, mostly gone actually, but he could see the black and blue, beaten face every time he looked at Len. Len smiled slightly then looked down at the tablet in his hands.

"Gideon, pull up news reports regarding the Flash for twenty-sixteen." Len commanded. Mick, curious as to what Len was thinking, looked over his shoulder while Len flicked through the multitude of stories. After a moment, Len's breath caught and he went rigid. He was looking at a news story about a new speedster attacking the Flash. There was a video attached and Len pressed play.

" _A new speedster is on the scene in Central City, wreaking havoc. The Flash has been fighting to the best of his abilities, but it seems this meta-human was too much for the hero."_

At that point, the video cut from the news anchor to two different videos. One shot in Picture News and the other in the police department. Both made Len and Mick sick to their stomachs. In both videos, the Flash, Barry, was hanging, lifelessly, from the grasp of, what could only be called, a monster. He was obviously severely injured and unable to do anything as the speedster in black spoke.

" _Look at your hero. This man is no god. He is nothing."_

Barry was pulled along as the other speedster left Picture News. The footage then turned to the video captured at the police station.

" _The days of the Flash protecting this city are over. Now, what will you do without your precious hero?"_

As soon as Barry was lowered out of range, gunfire could be heard ringing out through the station after Captain Singh's command. The black speedster effortlessly caught all of the bullets, dropping them onto the floor.

" _Nice try."_

After that, Barry and the mysterious meta disappeared. The news anchor came back on the screen and didn't put either of their minds at ease.

" _The Flash hasn't been seen since that confrontation with the speedster that calls himself Zoom. Nothing more about the situation is currently known. Is this the end of the Flash?"_

Len set down the tablet as soon as the video was over. He spun in Mick's arms and looked the man in the face.

"We _have_ to go help." he said seriously. Mick tended to agree, but there was one thing bugging him.

"We're more useful here if the kid's already dead." Len's blue eyes flashed and hardened. He broke free from Mick's grasp and very firmly responded.

"He's _not_." Mick sighed.

"Look, I know you're fond of the kid. Hell, I am too, but we have to be real. He may already be dead." Len looked devastated. His eyes watered and Mick's resolve crumbled. "Gideon!" Mick called, maintaining eye contact with Len.

"Yes, Mr. Rory?"

"Is Barry Allen still alive?" It took a moment, a moment where they were both holding their breath, until Gideon finally spoke up again.

"Barry Allen is still alive, in my time and in yours." Len huffed out a breath, but wasn't able to keep the tears at bay. He could still see Barry dangling from that... _demon's_ claw in his mind. He finally broke down and Mick immediately moved to him, enveloping him in a hug as he sobbed in both relief and heartbreak.

"We'll help him. C'mon, stop crying and we'll go tell the others." Mick murmured, stroking Len's back.

~x~x~x~

Everybody looked up from planning as Mick and Len walked back into the room. They were both wearing severe expressions and Len's eyes were slightly red-rimmed.

"What is it?" Rip asked. Mick looked to Len before looking back at the others.

"We're leaving. Take us back to twenty-sixteen." Everybody looked shocked at that. Sara scowled at the two of them.

"You can't just _leave_! What the hell, man?!"

"Sara's right." Rip said. "We have to defeat Savage. It is of the utmost importance."

"Not to us, it ain't." Mick growled. "One of our...friends is in trouble. He needs us."

"You two have _friends_?" Sara scoffed. "What, do they need help knocking over a bank?" Kendra giggled at Sara's joke and it only served to upset Len. He narrowed his eyes at Sara and spoke, deadly calm.

"It's the Flash, and we have to help him against another speedster. His life is at stake. Good enough for you?"

"Since when have you and the Flash been on the same side?" Ray muttered. Len shot him a withering look that had him snapping his mouth shut.

"The Flash can handle himself. We _need_ to defeat Savage."

"Well, then, you'll have to do it without us. Why is it you get to try to save your family and fight the guy that took them from you, but the rest of us are barred from doing the same?" Rip looked incredulous.

"You have tried to kill the Flash on multiple occasions! It is _not_ the same thing!" That made Len's blood boil. In the heat of the moment, he said something he knew he would regret.

"It is if I love him!" he yelled.


	2. Chapter 2

Len froze as soon as the words were out of his mouth. He looked around the room, eyes wide, and took in the shocked expressions of everyone else. He looked back at Mick, guilt written across his face, but the larger man just grabbed his hand and squeezed. That gesture gave Len the strength to turn and face the others once more, a look of resolve in his eyes.

"You're taking us back. _Now._ "

"Wait, wait." Ray cut in. "I thought you and Mick were together." he said, trying to make sense of Len's confession. Mick rolled his eyes.

"It's possible to love more than one person, haircut." Ray still looked confused, but didn't say anything else. Sara stood from where she had been sitting.

"You mean to tell me, you're _in love_ with the Flash? Rip is right. You've been trying to _kill_ him. In what world is that love?"

"We weren't really trying to kill him." Len muttered. So, they had tried to kill him before, but that was then. That was when Len hadn't known who was behind that mask. There was a reason he had warned Barry about Jesse and Mardon. The kid had wormed his way into Len's heart.

"Could have fooled me." Kendra said. Len shot her a glare. Shockingly, it was Carter who came to Len and Mick's aid.

"Look, if he truly loves the kid, who are we to stand in the way. If Kendra was in Barry's shoes, none of you would get in the way of me helping her." That surprised Len in more than one way. The words were sincere and heartfelt, but Len's mind caught on something else.

"Wait...you know who the Flash is?" They all looked at each other and it was Ray broke into a grin and answered.

"Yeah! Of course! You can't really be much of a superhero without networking with other heroes. We all know each other." Len shook his head with a smirk, of course they knew each other. After a moment, his expression closed off again and he looked at Rip.

"Are you going to drop us off or are we going to have to commandeer the ship?" Rip looked at the ground and sighed.

"On one condition." he said. Len rolled his eyes.

"What?" he snapped.

"The moment you're finished, you help us end Savage." Rip said, looking back up at Len.

"Deal."

~x~x~x~

It was weird to be back in twenty-sixteen. After all the things they'd seen, the places they'd been, being back in Central City was odd. It was a good odd, though. Len looked at Mick before they both looked to Rip and the others.

"Thank you." he said. Rip nodded and the others bid them farewell before they returned to the _Waverider_ and took off. Mick turned to Len and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Shall we?" he asked. Len nodded.

They had walked the entire way from where Rip dropped them off to S.T.A.R Labs and both were slightly out of breath by the time they arrived. Len, who had his toolkit on him, crouched down by the control panel at the door and began to go to work. He had the security bypassed, door unlocked, and open in no time. Creeping through the facility, they made it to the room where everyone was congregating around a hospital bed and speaking quietly amongst themselves. After watching for a moment, Len decided to make their presence known when Mick grabbed his hand.

"Well, hello Team Scarlet. Miss us?" he swept in like a showman, Mick a steady presence at his back. Everyone in the room stiffened and turned. Cisco was the first to come out of his stunned silence.

"Oh, hell no!" he exclaimed. Joe drew his gun and pointed it at the two former criminals, Mick growling and stepping in front of Len, should something happen.

"You two are going to stay put until I get someone over here to pick you up. You may not have a record anymore, Snart, but breaking and entering is still a crime." Joe said, deadly serious. After a standoff that lasted only a couple of seconds, a weak voice drifted from the bed behind Cisco and Caitlin.

"Joe, stop." Joe looked at his foster son like he was crazy and Caitlin and Cisco parted so that Mick and Len could clearly see Barry. He didn't physically look like he had taken a beating, but his eyes looked defeated, resigned. Len had never seen that look in his eyes before and it scared him. Before he could think about it, Len pushed past Mick and approached the hospital bed, Joe's gun staying trained on him the entire time. When Len reached the bed, he shocked everyone by reaching out and gently running his fingers down Barry's cheek. The others exchanged confused looks with each other. Barry just looked into Len's face as he turned a light shade of pink.

"How are you doing Scarlet? Sorry we weren't here." Len felt Mick come up behind him and place a large hand on his waist.

"You okay, kid?" he asked. Barry looked up at Len and Mick in awe, his melancholy temporarily forgotten. Iris broke the spell everyone was under by speaking in that same no-nonsense tone she reserved for people she could barely tolerate.

"What are you two doing here? I thought Oliver said you were off on some mission."

"We were, girlie. The mission is over for the moment. For us at least." Mick growled out. Len looked up at Iris and continued to explain.

"I've been keeping tabs on Barry, here, with the ship's computer. When I saw what had happened..." he drifted off, throat tightening. Barry looked from Iris to Len.

"You've been watching me?" Len huffed out a laugh.

"No. I've been keeping up with news stories involving the Flash in twenty-sixteen." They all looked confused for a moment before Cisco broke out in a grin and pointed.

"You've been time traveling!" he said, eyes wide. Harry looked intrigued.

"Wha-how?" he asked. Mick smirked.

"Been traveling with a rogue Time Master. Fixing things the bad guys screwed up." Barry couldn't take his eyes off of the two former criminals and wore an expression of amazement.

"You left a time traveling ship...to check on me?" he asked in awe. Len smiled down at him.

"Well, it wasn't _that_ thrilling." While Barry still stared, Len turned to Caitlin.

"What's wrong with him?" he asked. Caitlin took a deep breath, getting ready to explain.


	3. Chapter 3

"He has a complete dislocation of the T12-L1 interspace of the thoracolumbar junction." Caitlin rattled off. Mick looked utterly confused and Len rolled his eyes.

"English, Doctor Snow, please." he drawled.

"Basically, Zoom broke his back. He's paralyzed right now." Both former criminals looked shocked and concerned. Caitlin continued, "We're hoping that his healing ability will take care of it and he'll be better soon. Only time will tell."

"Sorry we weren't here, kid." Mick said. Barry looked over at him with a small smile.

"It's okay. There's nothing you could have done." A look of anger crossed Len's face.

"Don't worry, Scarlet. We'll get him." Barry's eyes widened. He looked genuinely scared.

"No! You can't! He'll kill you both. Zoom is faster and more powerful than me. You won't stand a chance. _Please_ don't go after him. Promise me?" Len sighed and Mick looked irritated, possibly that he wouldn't get to burn the bastard. It took a moment of consideration on both Len and Mick's part, but they eventually grumbled when they saw the look of desperation and anxiety on Barry's face.

"Promise."

"Promise."

~x~x~x~

After spending some time with Barry, Len and Mick were shooed away so that the speedster could get some much needed rest. As they were leaving, Joe stopped them in the corridor.

"What the hell are you up to?" he asked, venom lacing his voice. Len looked like he had expected this question and Mick looked angry that the detective was asking.

"Nothing, I can assure you." Len answered. "We were just worried." Joe's face twisted into a sneer.

"I don't believe you. I'll tell you this though, if you do _anything_ to hurt that boy, I will kill you." Mick smirked.

"How very law abiding of you." Joe stood there regarding the two for a moment before turning and walking in the opposite direction. Len and Mick turned and headed for the entrance of the building so they could go home for the night.

As soon as the two made their way to the apartment they shared, they realized it wasn't vacant, like they thought it would be. Lisa came around the corner, from the kitchen, and stopped dead in her tracks. Her eyes widened before her face broke out in a grin and she ran to her brother.

"Lenny!" She threw her arms around Len, giving him a tight hug. When she finally pulled away, her eyes narrowed and she punched him in the arm.

"Ow! The hell was that for?!"

"You disappeared for three months without telling me you were leaving, much less how long you would be gone!" she shouted. Len had the sensibility to look ashamed and pulled his baby sister to him for another hug. When they pulled apart, Lisa made her way to Mick.

"Hey Mick." she said, standing on the tips of her toes so she could hug him too. They eventually moved over to the couch and sat. Lisa, who plopped herself right in between the two men, looked at each in turn.

"So, tell me everything!" she demanded exitedly.

After they had regaled their story, leaving out certain details, Lisa sat in awe for a moment. You really got to do all that?" she asked, amazed.

"Yes, it was quite entertaining at times." Len answered. Mick grunted.

"Speak for yourself. I'm just glad to be away from haircut." he said. Len smirked as Lisa questioned.

"Who?"

"Ray Palmer." Len clarified. Lisa's mouth dropped open.

" _The_ Ray Palmer? Starling's billionaire CEO of Palmer Technologies?" she asked.

"Yup."

"Wow." Lisa whispered, astonished. Why don't you like him?" she directed to Mick. Len snorted out a laugh, remembering Mick's irritation, and answered for him.

"Let's just say Ray was annoyingly cheerful."

Their long discussion over, They all turned in for the night. Len and Mick headed for their bedroom and Lisa for the guest room. Len lay down beside Mick, facing him.

"How do you think Barry's going to be?" he asked, snuggling into Mick, who sighed.

"Dunno. Hopefully, he'll get better, but we gotta keep his spirits up until then."

"Do you think Team Flash is going to let us do that?"

"If they know what's good for 'em they will." Len nodded. Contrary to popular belief, Len was quite the anxious person. It may be a result of his upbringing or it may be something he was born with, but he had suffered from anxiety most of his life. After meeting Mick, he found he was able to control it better. The other man was a grounding presence for him. Len rolled over, back to Mick, and felt the larger man wrap warm arms around his waist.


	4. Chapter 4

The next day, Len and Mick walked into S.T.A.R Labs and caught the tail-end of a conversation between Caitlin and Barry.

"You're already showing signs of healing. This is good. It means you might just heal completely." the doctor said.

"Yeah, but until then, I'm useless. What if a meta-human attacks?!" Barry responded. Len chose that moment for them to make themselves known.

"We can handle that." he drawled, walking into the room, Mick behind him. Caitlin's body visibly stiffened and Barry's eyes widened slightly.

"You can't! No offense, but you're no match for meta-humans. You don't have powers." Len smirked and pulled out his cold gun.

"We have these." he said, simply. It was at that moment that Joe chose to walk into the room.

"Snart!" he said, pulling his gun and pointing it at the two. "Put the weapon down!" Len sighed and raised his free hand, holstering his cold gun before raising the other.

"Well, hello detective." he said matter-of-factly. Barry decided now was the time to intervene.

"Joe, you can put the gun down. They're not here to hurt me. They would have done it already if they were."

"Not necessarily." Joe grumbled, scowling but putting his gun away. "Remember Ferris Air? They'll just go along with what you say for the hell of it, then stab you in the back." Len spun around to face Joe.

"Not this time, _detective_." Joe scoffed.

"And, what's so different about you this time?" he asked. Len glared, refusing to answer the question. The staring contest went on for a few moments before Mick growled and shoved Len toward the bed Barry was currently occupying.

"Play nice you two." he said. He could understand the detective's lack of faith in them. They hadn't exactly earned it. But, Mick also knew Len. He knew that Len didn't talk about feelings much and he definitely wasn't going to discuss them with Barry's foster father. So, Mick decided to take it upon himself to break up the argument. They were there to visit Barry, not pick a fight with Detective West.

"How ya doing, kid?" he asked, making his way to the bed to stand beside Len. Barry grimaced slightly.

"Caitlin says I'm beginning to heal, but I sure don't feel like it."

"Relax, Scarlet. It's gonna take time." Len said, seeing Barry's despair.

"Yeah, well, I'm not a very patient person." the younger man grumbled causing Len to smirk.

"Hmm, being the fastest man alive doesn't do much for your patience, now does it?" Barry's face dropped, expression slowly turning sour.

"I'm not. Not anymore." he whispered. Joe stepped over to the other side of the bed and put his hand on Barry's.

"Barr, you can't let him get to you. It's what he wants, to get into your head."

"He _is_ in my head, Joe. He almost killed me! He almost killed Linda!"

"But he didn't." Barry and Joe were staring intently at each other when Len cleared his throat.

"Exactly who _is_ this guy?" he asked. Barry took a steadying breath and explained.

"His name is Zoom. He's a speedster from Earth Two." Mick chose that moment to interrupt Barry.

"Where, now?"

"Turns out the theory of the multiverse, different dimensions, is true. There are different versions of Earth, all close together. When the wormhole above Central City opened up a few months ago, it opened breeches to one of those Earths. We're calling it Earth Two. It's where Zoom and Harry are from."

"Harry? Harrison Wells?" Len asked. Barry nodded.

"He's the doppelganger of our Earth's Wells."

"Trippy." Mick muttered. That made Barry laugh slightly.

"Anyway, Zoom is a meta-human from Earth Two who came here through those breeches. He's after my speed. He won't stop until he's the only speedster in the entire multiverse."

"Well, that ain't gonna happen." Mick growled. Barry looked up at the larger man.

"There's nothing you can do to stop him. There's nothing _I_ can do to stop him." Barry looked down at his hands fisted in the sheets covering his body. An elegant hand entered his line of sight and rested itself atop his own. Still, he didn't look up. The hand moved to his chin and lifted his face. He was left looking into the so blue eyes of one Leonard Snart. The look on the other man's face was the most open and emotional he'd ever seen since the moment he'd killed his father. There was concern, _worry_ , in those icy depths.

"Yes, there is. We're gonna figure it out." he said, voice full of sincerity. Barry felt tears prick his eyes.

"How?" he asked, voice thick with emotion. "Don't you guys have a future to save?" This time, Mick was the one to speak, tone quiet so as not to interrupt the moment.

"We discharged ourselves from duty. Our place is here right now." Barry's eyes flicked over to Mick as they filled with tears.

"Why do you care?" he asked, strangled.

"Because you make it worth it." Len said quietly, stroking Barry's cheek with his thumb and wiping away tears when they started to fall. Joe broke their moment with a scoff, causing both thieves to glare at him.

"I'm sorry, Barr, but how can you believe these two after everything they've done?! I can't just stand here and watch you fall for this." Barry sniffed and wiped his eyes quickly.

"Joe, I think they're telling the _truth_ this time. I believe them." Joe shook his head angrily.

"Well, I don't think your judgment is very good right now. These guys are _criminals_. Always have been, always will be." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Joe was crowded against the wall behind him by a livid Len. Len growled under his breath as he fisted his hands in the lapels of the detective's jacket.

"You don't get to judge us, detective. And, you certainly don't get to make Barry feel bad for his decisions. He's a big boy. He can make his own choices." Len hissed. Mick was already moving from the side of the bed he was on to pull his volatile boyfriend away from Joe as Barry looked on helplessly, unable to get his legs to work.

"Hey, _chill_ Boss." the larger man rumbled. He wasn't usually so fond of the puns like his partner was, but decided to try and use anything to take Len's mind off of the detective in front of him. The air was tense for a couple of minutes before Len slowly released Joe's jacket and took a couple of steps back. Mick kept his hand on the other man's arm as they returned to the side of the bed they originated on. Barry looked a little frazzled by what just transpired, but seemed to be holding himself together. Joe sighed deeply before heading for the door. Before he reached it, he turned to Barry with a hard stare and pointed.

"Don't make me say _I told you so_." Caitlin, who had been cowering in the far corner of the room, took a sigh of relief and brushed imaginary dust from her clothes when Joe left. She walked over to the bed to check over Barry for a moment.

"How do you feel?" she asked the speedster. Barry gave her an unsure smile.

"Fine."

"Have you regained any sensation in your legs, yet?" He clenched his fists and shook his head. A large hand rested on his shoulder and Barry looked up at Mick.

"You'll heal." he said earnestly, trying to get Barry to believe his words. Barry gave a small smile and put his hand on top of the one on his shoulder. It was at that moment that Cisco blustered into the room. He stuttered to a halt when he saw Len and Mick, staring wide-eyed. When he saw that Caitlin and Barry didn't seem worried, he continued with what he came in the room for.

"Guess what I remembered!" he announced. Len rolled his eyes in exasperation and Barry smiled at Cisco's grin.

"What?" he asked. Cisco started gesturing wildly in the direction of the Cortex.

"Well, remember when we found Wells'-" Cisco cut himself off, dark look crossing his face. " _Thawne's_ wheelchair? Well, I never threw it out. We've still got it. You can use it, man! That way you're not confined to this bed." Cisco sounded quite proud of himself, but Barry wasn't quite decided. On the one hand, it would definitely help to have better mobility. On the other, could he use Thawne's chair? To Barry, it sort of represented the betrayal that he had suffered at the other speedster's hands, the lie the man perpetrated. He didn't know if he could use it without feeling nauseous all the time. His face must have reflected his concern because the decision was soon made for him. The sheets of the bed were thrown back and Barry was lifted into strong arms. He wrapped his arms around Mick's neck so he wouldn't fall and blushed crimson when he realized he was in nothing but his boxer-briefs. Looking at Len, he saw the man smirking before Mick turned and started into the next room. When they reached the Cortex, Mick gently set Barry down in the chair that Cisco had wheeled into the room. Barry looked up at the people around him nervously.

"Um...shouldn't I get dressed first?" he squeaked.

"I don't know, Scarlet. I kind of like this look." Len drawled, smirk still in place. Cisco looked to the other man, scandalized. Barry blushed again and Caitlin cleared her throat.

"Well, I agree with Barry. Cisco, could you go get a pair of sweats?" she asked the engineer.

"Sure thing. Just don't leave these lecherous pervs with him, Cait." he said, all the while glaring at Len and Mick. Mick scowled at the younger man, but the smirk never left Len's face. Barry just shook his head and put it in his hand, groaning slightly.

~x~x~x~

After Cisco brought the clothes for Barry to put on, Len and Mick volunteered to help him get dressed. They wrestled a protesting Barry into the clothes while he struggled slightly. Len took every chance he got to cop a feel as he kept throwing puns at the young speedster to get him to comply. Barry was beet red by the time they finished. That was when Caitlin decided visiting hours were over for the day and sent the two thieves home. They grumbled about it, but did what the good doctor said. Barry was kind of sad, but kind of relieved at the same time. A lot had happened that day. He needed time to process it so that he could figure out what he was going to do.


	5. Chapter 5

The next time Len and Mick entered the Labs, there was an argument going on.

"I want to go _home,_ Caitlin!" they heard Barry say as they entered the Cortex. Barry caught their eye and smiled slightly before turning a frown back on the doctor.

"Barry, Joe's house has _stairs_. You can't navigate them. Cisco and I both live in walk-ups. There's nowhere for you to go. You need to stay here." As Caitlin was saying that, an idea came to Mick.

"He can stay with us." he grunted.

"What?" Caitlin and Barry said at the same time, shocked at the offer. Len smiled at his lover before turning to the other occupants of the room.

"Of course he can." he said. "Our apartment building has an elevator. We even have a guest room." Barry positively beamed. He was _so_ ready to get out of the Labs. Caitlin thought for a moment before answering.

"I guess that would work. You'll have to bring him in every day for a checkup." she warned, pointing a finger at the Rogues. They both nodded.

"Yes ma'am!" Len said with a mock salute. Barry giggled at the older man and looked at Caitlin.

"I'll have Joe pack me a bag when he gets off work." he told her. Caitlin grimaced.

"Barry, Joe's...not going to like this." she said carefully. Barry scowled.

"Then he can get over it. I don't want to stay here anymore."

"Okay." Caitlin said, skeptical but defeated. Barry grinned and maneuvered the chair he was in over to the two men in the doorway.

"Lead the way." he said brightly. Len looked from Barry to Caitlin.

"You done with him for the day?" he asked her. She nodded and made a shooing motion with her hand. Len and Mick led Barry down the hallway and back to the elevator. Once they got to the car, Mick picked Barry up out of the wheelchair and put him in the backseat. Len slid in beside Barry while Mick put the wheelchair in the trunk. Barry looked over at Len as Mick got in the driver's seat, blushing at how close they were. The ride over was quiet and, when they pulled up to the apartment building, Barry gaped at how fancy it was.

"You guys live _here_?" he asked in awe. Len chuckled.

"What do you think we do with all the money and expensive things we...liberate?" he asked with a smirk. Barry rolled his eyes, but had a smile on his face. Mick stopped the car outside of the front entrance of the apartment building and the doorman immediately approached and opened Len's door.

"Mr. Wynters, you're back already?" he asked with a polite smile. Barry huffed a laugh.

"Wynters, really?" he murmured. Len just smirked and exited the car. Mick had already gotten the wheelchair out of the trunk and had it waiting beside the car. Barry scooted over as best as he could when Len reached inside and grabbed him, lifting him out of the car and setting him gently in the chair. Mick got back in the car to move it to the garage while Len and Barry entered the building.

"Whoa." Barry whispered as they entered. The inside was even more spectacular than he had been anticipating. The floors were white marble and there were large columns with statue busts resting on top of them, reminding Barry of Grecian and Roman art. There were gold accents on the front desk that made the entire room look even more regal. Barry took everything in with wide eyes as they moved through the lobby to the elevators. The inside of the elevator was carpeted with a rich, red carpet and had more gold accents around the floor to ceiling mirrors that made up the walls. All in all, the entire apartment building was so fancy that Barry felt out of place. He felt grossly under dressed compared to the suits and dresses he saw on the people milling around the lobby. Barry tried to ignore the thoughts in his head telling him he wasn't good enough to be here and followed Len down the corridor until he stopped in front of an apartment door and began unlocking it. Len opened the door and motioned for Barry to go through first.

"After you." he said. Barry pushed the joystick on the chair and rolled forward. The inside of the apartment was just as stunning as the lobby. More so, even. In here, there were expensive looking pieces of artwork adorning the walls. Barry just knew they were pieces that Len and Mick had stolen throughout their career. Barry turned his chair to face Len, who was taking his jacket off by the door.

"This place is amazing!" he said. Len smirked, hanging his jacket on the rack by the door.

"Thank you. I try." Barry laughed. The door opened again and Mick walked through, proceeding to hang up his jacket as well. "What do you want to do with the rest of the day?"Len asked Barry. Mick walked over and laid a large hand on Barry's head ruffling his hair slightly.

"First thing's first." he said. "I'm cooking lunch. You take him to the couch and pick out something to watch." he said, addressing Len as he headed to the large kitchen. As if on cue, Barry's stomach let out a loud growl. Mick and Len laughed as Barry blushed crimson.

"Make a lot." he mumbled after Mick. "Speedster metabolism and all." he brought a hand up to rub at the back of his neck. Mick grunted an affirmative to let Barry know he'd heard him. Barry turned back to Len, who was just finishing up taking his shoes off. He motioned for Barry to follow him to the large sectional in the living room and Barry obeyed. Barry stopped the chair in front of Len, by the couch and Len knelt to the ground and began taking Barry's shoes off. When he had them set aside, Len stood and lifted Barry out of the chair and set him carefully on the couch before sitting beside him. Barry smiled at Len and the older man reached for the remote control that was on the coffee table in front of the couch.

"What do you want to watch?" Len asked. Barry shrugged.

"It doesn't matter."

They settled on some cheesy horror movie and waited for lunch to be finished. Len had a smile on his face as he watched Barry during the movie. The younger man kept jolting and gasping at the jump scares in the movie, even though they were oh so predictable. Barry happened to look over and catch Len watching him.

"What?" he asked, blushing and furrowing his brows. Len just laughed. He looked like an angry puppy.

"A little jumpy, there?" Len teased. Barry scowled and crossed his arms.

"No!" he sulked. Barry looked at Len out of the corner of his eye. "How are _you_ not jumping?" he mumbled. Len's smile got wider.

"C'mon, Scarlet, they're terribly predictable. Can you not tell when a jump scare is coming?" he said, chuckling. Barry's face darkened.

"Well, yeah, but I jump anyway." Barry said petulantly, sinking back into the couch. Len laughed and Barry stuck his tongue out at him.

"Oh, mature." Len deadpanned, causing Barry to crack a smile. Barry sighed, picking at his shirt in nervousness for a moment before he finally spoke.

"Could you get my feet up?" he asked in a small voice. "I don't like them being down when I'm watching a horror movie."

"Of course, Scarlet. Why didn't you ask me sooner?" Len asked, leaning down and grabbing Barry's legs. Barry shrugged as Len put his legs in his lap and rested his arms on them.

"Y-you don't have to hold them." Barry sputtered. Len looked at him, icy blue eyes serious.

"I know. I want to." Barry was taken aback at the sincerity and warmth in Len's eyes. He nodded and they both turned back to the movie.

~x~x~x~

By the time Mick had lunch ready, Barry was plastered up against Len's side, practically in his lap. Mick smiled and walked up behind them, laying a hand on Barry's shoulder. Barry would deny jumping and the high-pitched screech that left him at the contact until the day he died. Len and Mick cracked up laughing while Barry blushed and pouted.

"You guys are mean!" he exclaimed.

"Well, we _are_ super villains." Len purred in a teasing voice. Barry looked him in the eye, a crooked smile on his face.

"No you're not. You're legends." Len and Mick both felt a warmth spread through their chests at the heartfelt words. Len did something completely out of character that took Barry by surprise. He launched himself across the couch cushion and tackled Barry in a tight hug. Barry sat, stunned, for a moment, eyes wide, before he slowly wrapped his arms around the older man, a small smile on his face. They remained that way for a moment, just holding each other, until Mick cleared his throat to remind them of his presence.

"Alright, c'mon." he said. "Lunch is ready." Len straightened up, face slightly pink, and Barry grinned up at Mick.

"I'm starving!" he said as Mick came around the couch and picked him up. Mick carried Barry to the table and set him in a chair. Barry's mouth watered as he took in the spread on the table. There were all kinds of foods. Heaps and heaps of food. They all loaded their plates, Barry's twice as high as the others'. When they dug in, Barry moaned at the taste causing Len and Mick to stare, spoons half-way to their mouths. Barry didn't notice, though, as his eyes were closed. When they opened, Len and Mick quickly looked down at their plates.

"The food is fantastic, Mick!" Barry complimented. Len directed a smile to his partner.

"Mick is indeed an excellent cook. He started cooking to curb his pyromania urges when we had to lay low and couldn't chance a blaze." Instead of looking put off at the mention of Mick's illness that Len was half expecting, Barry just looked fascinated and intrigued. Of course. Barry was pure goodness. Of course he would be understanding.

When the three had finished lunch, no leftovers in sight, Len did the dishes while Mick sat with Barry on the couch. They decided on an action movie this time and both were completely enthralled by the time Len came back into the living room. Mick and Barry were sitting much like Barry and Len had been before, with Barry's feet in Mick's lap. Len sat on Barry's other side and let the speedster lean back against him. They settled in and watched movies until dinner. After dinner, there was a knock on the apartment door. Len left Barry on the couch with Mick and went to answer it. When he opened the door, he saw an irate Joe West on the other side, holding a duffel bag.

"Let me talk to Barry!" Joe demanded before Len could get a word out. Len stepped back, away from the door, and motioned Joe in.

"By all means." he said, an edge of irritation in his voice. Joe stormed in and walked straight over to Barry, who was lounging back against Mick's side. Joe glared daggers at Mick and set the bag on the coffee table.

"Thank you for bringing my stuff, Joe." Barry said sincerely.

"I want you to come home with me." Joe stated. Barry furrowed his brows.

"Caitlin said I can't. Your house has stairs."

"Then stay at the Labs!" Joe exclaimed, exacerbated. Barry sighed.

"I don't want to Joe."

"Anywhere but here, Barry!" Barry groaned in frustration.

"There's only here, Joe! I'm not staying at the Labs, especially if I don't have to! I'm _tired_ Joe! Let me stay here and _rest_. Len and Mick have been nothing but kind to me. I know you don't like them, but _please,_ let this go. For me?" Joe stared at Barry for a moment before sighing in defeat. He stood, patting Barry's head.

"Fine. Call me if you need anything." he said and left the apartment, leaving Barry to sag against Mick in relief.

"Well, _that_ was exciting." Len deadpanned. "So, what do you want to do now, Scarlet?"

"I really want to clean up. Do you have a bathtub?"

"We have a big garden tub in the master bathroom." Len said. "It has hot tub jets and everything." Barry perked up at that.

"Sounds divine!" he said.

"Let's go then." Len said as he picked Barry up and carried him to the back bathroom. Mick grabbed the duffel bag and followed them. Len set Barry down on the closed lid of the toilet and turned the water in the tub on. Mick set the bag on the counter and began pulling out some fresh clothes.

"Do you want bubbles?" Len asked from where he was kneeling by the tub. Barry stared for a moment before dissolving into a fit of giggles. Len glared, with no heat, and splashed some water at Barry.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"I just never imagined two of the roughest criminals in Central City took bubble baths." Barry answered, chuckling. Len splashed Barry again as Mick huffed a laugh.

"I'll have you know our bubble baths are plenty manly!" Barry laughed again.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone your secret." he said grinning. Len tried to keep the scowl on his face, but eventually broke into a smile himself. Once the tub was full of water and bubbles, Len stood. He saw that Mick had some clothes set out for Barry and was leaning back against the counter with his arms crossed. Len walked over to Barry and looked at him.

"Alright, here comes the awkward part. You obviously can't take a bath in your clothes..." Len trailed off and Barry turned crimson.

"O-okay." Surprisingly, Len and Mick were very professional about stripping Barry. Even though they wanted nothing more than to explore Barry's body, they knew now wasn't the time. Their gazes didn't linger and they only touched skin when they had to. Nonetheless, Barry was still red by the time they were finished. Mick picked Barry up and placed him in the tub while Len turned the jets on. Len grabbed Barry's phone and set it on the toilet lid, within his reach.

"I put both our numbers in your phone. Call if you need anything." he said. Barry nodded and Mick and Len left the bathroom, pulling the door closed behind them.

~x~x~x~

Len had been reading a book when he looked up at the clock on the wall. Barry had been in the tub for an hour and neither he nor Mick had heard from him. Len decided to go check on the speedster. He walked to the master bathroom and softly knocked on the door.

"Barry, you alright in there?" he asked. When no answer came, he cracked open the door and looked in. Len smiled at what he saw. Barry was leaned back in the tub, asleep, head listing to the side. Len walked into the bathroom and turned the tub's jets off. He knelt beside the tub and gently shook Barry's shoulder. "Barry." he said. "Wake up, Scarlet." Green eyes cracked open and Barry groaned slightly.

"Wha? What is it?" he asked. Len smiled at him and ruffled his wet hair.

"You fell asleep." he answered. Barry blushed.

"Sorry." he murmured. Len shook his head.

"It's fine. I was just worried when I hadn't heard from you."

"How long have I been in here?" Barry asked, looking at how pruny his fingers were as if that would answer his question.

"An hour." Len answered, reaching over to grab the towel they'd left for Barry. Barry looked surprised at the length of time he'd spent in the bath as Len reached down to unplug the tub drain. When the water had all drained out of the tub, Len wrapped the towel around Barry and lifted him out of the tub. He set him on the side of it and began using the towel to dry Barry off. Once he was done, he helped Barry get dressed in the clothes Mick had left out and carried him to the guest bedroom. Barry yawned as Len set him in the bed and covered him up.

"Goodnight Scarlet." Len said sincerely as he turned the light off. Mick appeared out of nowhere in the doorway, the light filtering in from the hallway making him look bigger than he was.

"You going to bed?" he asked Barry.

"Yeah, I'm tired." Mick nodded and walked up to the bed. He ruffled Barry's hair and smiled at him.

"Goodnight. Call one of us if you need anything." he said, nodding to Barry's phone on the nightstand.

"I will." Barry promised. "Goodnight to both of you. And, thank you for letting me stay here."

"Anytime Barry." Len said as he pulled the door closed after Mick walked out. Barry snuggled down into the covers, getting ready to fall asleep.

~x~x~x~

Barry thrashed in his sleep, eyelids fluttering with the dream was having. Well, nightmare. Tears tracked down Barry's face as he dreamt of Zoom killing everyone he cared about. _Of course, Len and Mick ignored Barry's warning and went after him with nothing but their guns. Zoom took immense pleasure in dragging their bloody, dead bodies to parade around in front of Barry. And, there was nothing he could do about it. He was paralyzed, after all._ Barry whimpered in his sleep and was panting as if he'd run a marathon. Barry shot up into a sitting position, wiping the tears and sweat from his face. That dream had been so real, so lifelike. Barry needed to use the bathroom, but, more than that, he found himself _needing_ to make sure Len and Mick were still alive. He reached over to the nightstand with a shaking hand and grabbed his phone. Looking at the time, 2:30 am blared back at him. Barry felt slightly bad for waking one of them up at this time, but his anxiety over their well-being won over his guilt. Barry opened the phone and found where Len had entered his number in Barry's contacts and pressed the call button. He figured Len would be easier to wake than Mick. He just struck Barry as a light sleeper.

"Hello?" came the groggy answer. Barry tried to steady his voice before he answered.

"H-hey." he said in a small voice. The second time Len's voice came, it sounded instantly more alert and awake.

"Barry, is something wrong? Do you need anything?" he asked quickly. Barry smiled a watery smile, tears coming to his eyes at the concern.

"I just need to use the bathroom." he responded. Len sighed in relief.

"I'll be right there."

When Len opened the door not a moment later, Barry tried to put on a brave face. He had already scrubbed at his eyes to remove the lingering tears. Len turned on the light and walked over to the bed to help Barry up. His eyes studied the younger man's face, noticing the blotchy redness and puffy eyes immediately.

"What's wrong?" he asked sternly, crossing his arms. Barry looked up much like a child who was guilty of hiding something.

"Nothing?" he said, though it was more of a question than an answer. Len wasn't buying it and stayed in the same position. They were having a stare off and Barry finally cracked, sighing in defeat.

"I had a nightmare. Can we go to the bathroom now?" He was mildly irritated because he didn't want to talk about what had happened, he didn't want to give it life. Len moved in to pick Barry up and carried him to the bathroom across the hall. When Barry was finished, Len helped him wash his hands and then picked him back up. However, instead of taking him back to the guest room, he headed down the hall to the master bedroom.

"Um, what are you doing?" Barry asked. He got no answer, only a small smile. Len plopped Barry down in the middle of the bed beside the seemingly asleep Mick. Mick peeped an eye open.

"What's going on?" he asked, voice even gruffer than usual.

"Barry had a nightmare." Len answered as he got back in bed on Barry's other side.

"Oh." was all Mick said. He then wrapped an arm around Barry's stomach and pulled him back so that Barry's back was firmly nestled against his bare chest. Barry's face burned with a blush that, thankfully, nobody could see. Mick nuzzled at Barry's neck, getting comfortable again, as Len lay facing Barry, hand resting on his hip. Barry wanted to protest, wanted to go back to his room, but found that he couldn't. He was comforted by the embrace of the other two men and found himself drifting off to a content, dreamless sleep, warm in the embrace of two men who used to be his enemies.

~x~x~x~

I'm totally Barry when watching a horror movie.


End file.
